


Some "Guy in the Chair"

by baloobird



Series: Our Favorite "Guy in the Chair" [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Anti-Starker, Body Shaming, Bullying, Could be read as InterWebs if you want, Fat Shaming, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Ned Leeds Needs a Hug, Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Panic Attacks, Protective Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark is a Good Dad, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-01 02:02:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20250358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baloobird/pseuds/baloobird
Summary: It's not like they're really hurting him, they're just saying shit,everyonetalks shit. Eventually, the shit-talking will be about something else, the teen thinks, so he just has to wait it out.The one positive thing is that the bullying only seems to happen while on the bus. When he's actually at the school, no one bothers him, probably because he's around Peter.And there's no need to tell Peter about this if it's all just going to blow over in a week. The guy's got enough on his plate - like being freakingSpider-Man, for one - to worry about something as petty as this.-The last thing on this earth that Ned wants to do is tell his best friend that he's being bullied...but everyone has their breaking point.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I love Ned so much and what do I do with my favorite characters?
> 
> Emotionally hurt them, obviously 😇
> 
> Anyway, I've been wanting to write a Ned fic for a while and I really, really hope you enjoy this!!!
> 
> Trigger warning for bullying and body shaming.

Ned is in a good mood despite it being a Tuesday morning. 

The new semester started only a few weeks ago, so he isn't too stressed over the workload yet. He is on the bus on his way to school, backpack between his feet and music playing through his earbuds. He looks out the window and comically pretends to be in a dramatic music video.

Even though the teen isn't paying attention to the conversations around him, he can still pick up bits of what other students are talking about like sports, homework, and the latest "teen drama." 

One conversation in particular catches the boy's attention. Without moving his head, he glances at the students in question and sees that four athletes are all complaining about their weight. Ned rolls his eyes and keeps them glued to the window. Of course it's the skinny people who are complaining about how "fat" they are.

The sixteen-year-old attempts to tune out the conversation, but it doesn't work because he hears one guy say, "Hey, at least I'm not as fat as _him_."

Ned feels his skin become prickly with goosebumps and he briefly squeezes his eyes closed. Obviously, they're talking about him...he's the only heavyset person sitting in the back of the bus.

Amazing how just one statement is all it takes to make someone feel like they're the biggest failure to have ever existed.

_ Ignore him, ignore him, just fucking ignore him…. _

The teen tries to do just that, but then he feels someone touching his arm to get his attention.

_ Shit. _

The kid takes out his earbuds and turns to the guy sitting across the aisle from him. How is it possible for someone to be sixteen and  _ already _ look like a model?

Life’s just not fair.

The other teen asks, "Hey, how much do you weigh?"

_ What the fuck? _

Ned stares at the other kid in utter disbelief, "Um...that's none of your business."

"Oh, c'mon, you've gotta be like five hundred pounds or something."

Ned's eyes widen, offense evident on his face. Is he actually hearing this right now?

Before the teen can respond, another of his classmates moves to the seat in front of him. She then turns around and faces him, arms crossed on top of the seat, "No way, if he was five hundred pounds, he'd barely be moving. Maybe it's four hundred."

_ Are you fucking kidding me? _

Did these assholes take a class on "How to Make Ned Leeds Feel Like Shit 101" because they're  _ acing _ it.

_ I'm dreaming...I'm obviously dreaming 'cuz there's no way they're actually heartless enough to say this shit. _

Ned tries to not get worked up and let those harsh words bother him. He can't think of how else to respond except to repeat himself, but more demanding this time, "Again...it's  _ none _ of your business."

The girl then says defensively, "God, no need to be such an ass, all we did was ask a simple question."

_ Seriously?! _

The other guy chimes in with that same tone, "Yeah, we just don’t wanna look like you someday."

_ Okay, ouch…. _

Ned feels his cheeks heat up in hurt and embarrassment. He puts his earbuds back in and sarcastically mutters, "I think you'll be  _ just _ fine." His gaze goes back to the window and he turns up the music volume to drown out their talking. 

However, he still catches parts of the conversation, which is now all about him, "How much do you think he eats?" "When the restaurant says 'all you can eat', does he actually eat  _ all _ of it?"

_ Again, ouch…. _

It's not like he does nothing but eat. Ned can bet money that the skinny people around him actually eat more than he does. His weight is just an unfortunate gene he has that runs in the family: his dad is overweight, his grandpa was overweight, and he has uncles and cousins in the same predicament. 

It’s obvious that he should lose weight. He may not eat as much as the students around him, but he does know that he needs to lay off the junk food and exercise more. 

And he's  _tried_, he has tried so many times that he's lost count, but saying that one is going to lose weight is much easier than  _ actually _ losing the weight.

The shit-talking continues until the bus gets to Peter's stop and the second his best friend gets on, all the jeering magically stops. At least Ned doesn't have to hear it for the rest of the ride.

The spiderling is all smiles when he sits next to his friend, and it makes said friend smile back at him. They ramble and make small talk, but those damn comments can't help but stick in the back of Ned's mind.

-

Ned is feeling somewhat better at lunchtime. 

Those assholes haven't said anything more to him, so he takes that as a win. When he and Peter sit down, the web-slinger is bouncy with excitement. 

The young hero lowers his voice, but the enthusiasm is still there, "Guess what, guess what, guess what?!"

Ned laughs at how his friend is acting, "What, don't keep me in suspense, dude."

"I've been dying to tell you all morning. Mr. Stark wants to meet you!"

The other teen's eyes widen in pure shock. His excitement matches his friend's and everything that happened on that bus is forgotten, "What?! But...why?"

"He said that if someone hacked into my suit - well,  _ his _ suit - then he just  _ has _ to meet the guy."

Ned's face falls, "He's not mad at me, is he?"

"No! No, he's not mad, I promise, he's impressed actually. Wanna come with me after school on Friday?"

The friend's eyebrows shoot up to his hairline, "_Duh_, are you crazy?! Who wouldn't want to meet Mr. Stark?"

"Stupid people."

"Antis."

"Stupid people  _ and _ antis."

"Antis  _ are _ stupid people."

The duo laugh at themselves as they continue their lunch, elation practically blowing out of their ears.

-

The bus ride home that afternoon is a pleasant one until after Peter is dropped off.

When his friend got off the bus, the same guy from that morning smugly asks Ned a question, "So, didya eat everything  _ and _ the kitchen sink today?"

All of those comments from that morning flood to the front of the poor teen’s mind and he refuses to give this prick what he wants, "Just leave me alone."

The other student looks offended, "Jeez, chill out, dude, it was just a joke."

_ Yet you're the only one who's laughing. _

The heavyset teen doesn't respond. He puts in his earbuds and lets the music consume him for the rest of the ride.

-

Ned is way too naive for his own good. 

He really thought that those kids would stop bothering him and move on to someone else. But on the following day, the young genius finds himself literally counting down the minutes until Peter gets on the bus and dreading the time for when he gets off said bus, because when his best friend is around, the bullying stops.

Ned might as well call this what it is - it's bullying. He knows he should talk to someone about it, but what the hell does he say?

It's not like they're really hurting him, they're just saying shit,  _ everyone _ talks shit. Eventually, the shit-talking will be about something else, the teen thinks, so he just has to wait it out. 

The one positive thing is that the bullying only seems to happen while on the bus. When he's actually at the school, no one bothers him, probably because he's around Peter.

And there's no need to tell Peter about this if it's all just going to blow over in a week. The guy's got enough on his plate - like being freaking  _Spider-Man_, for one - to worry about something as petty as this.

By lunchtime on Thursday, Ned is just tired, plain and simple. This has only been going on for a couple of days, but who knew that constant teasing could physically exhaust a person?

The teen stares at his half-eaten lunch, which consisted of a sandwich, chips, an apple, and a small water bottle. He looks across the table at his best friend's empty lunchbox and his eyebrows raise in surprise. How has Peter already downed  _ three _ sandwiches?

Sometimes Ned can't help but resent Peter when it comes to eating. He knows the hero can't help it; the guy has to eat three times as much as the average person to even function as a human being. That's not Peter's fault, that's just how it is.

But Ned eats a third of what his friend eats and weighs what feels like three times more than him.

Again...life’s just not fair.

So when the bigger teen stares back at the rest of his lunch, he thinks that maybe he doesn't need the other half of his sandwich or his chips. One aspect of losing weight is eating less, and not eating part of his lunch would help with that. And it's not like he's still hungry - his stomach actually feels pretty comfortable - he'll be fine until he gets home. 

Before he changes his mind, Ned asks Peter, "You want the rest of my sandwich, I'm full."

The spiderling's eyebrows narrow in confusion, "Are...are you sure? I don't wanna take away your lunch or anything."

"Dude, you're not taking it from me if I'm offering it to you. C'mon, you can have it, it's totally fine."

Peter bites his lip and stares at the sandwich, "Are you really sure?"

Ned pushes his lunchbox across the table, "_Positive_."

The web-slinger then gives his friend a soft smile, "Thanks, man." He then eats the chips and the other half of the sandwich in what feels like mere minutes. 

Ned smiles as his friend practically devours the food. He feels good,  _ this _ feels good; he'll be down a pants size in no time. 

-

Boy does Ned regret giving Peter half of his lunch when they get on the bus that afternoon.

Because he is fucking _starving_. 

During his last class, his stomach felt like it could literally fall out of his body and he now has a headache due to the lack of food he’s consumed. Headaches already suck but having an empty stomach on top of it, it makes for an upcoming miserable bus ride.

Once the duo get settled in their seat, Peter immediately takes some snacks out of his backpack. 

_ Seriously, does this dude ever stop eating?  _

Peter holds out a bag in Ned's direction, "Almonds?"

Ned's mouth starts salivating at that. He wants to take the bag and eat it all in one go, but he can't. Losing weight means eating _less_, and eating those almonds would defeat the purpose. He reluctantly says, "Nah, I'm good."

Peter gives his friend an unamused look, "Dude, I've been hearing your stomach growl for the past hour. C'mon, save us both some torture and have some."

Ned looks back at the almonds. They do look good...eating a  _ few _ won't hurt, and they're nuts, so it'll fill him up faster. 

He gives in and eats a few...which soon turns into half the bag.

The headache hasn't gone away but it's sitting at a dull throb, bearable enough for Ned to get home and take something for it...and eat another snack.

The teen’s cheeks flush in embarrassment when he realizes how much he ate, "Sorry…."

Peter shakes his head, "Nah, you're good, seriously, but I'm never eating your lunch again."

"Yeah, yeah…."

"Is everything okay with you and stuff? You seemed kinda off today...and you've never offered me your lunch before."

Ned's eyes widen briefly and he tries to keep himself calm, "Oh yeah, yeah, everything's good, it's just...I haven't been sleeping well lately." 

He feels bad for lying but he couldn't think of what else to say other than the truth, and he'd rather get hit by this school bus than admit it.

That lie was apparently the wrong one to say because the pale teen's eyebrows crease with worry, "Wait, seriously, is everything okay, you're not getting sick or anything, are you -"

Ned forces himself to smile, "No, no seriously, dude, I'll be fine. I'll just...drink warm milk tonight or something."

"Listen to rain while you sleep…" Peter shrugs, "I don't know, I've heard that helps."

Ned snorts, "Yeah, but then I'll wake up in the middle of the night because I’ll have to pee, so that'll just defeat the purpose."

"Fine then," Peter then jokingly says, "I'll just call and sing you a lullaby, it'll knock ya  _ right _ out."

Ned busts out laughing, "Dude, my goal is to _sleep_, if you do that, I'll never sleep again. I'll be like a zombie from _The Walking Dead_." 

Peter playfully scoffs and puts a hand on his chest in mock offense, "I am  _offended_. FYI: I've made church ladies  _ bawl _ at my breathtaking voice, you just haven't been graced with hearing it."

"Have you ever even  _ been _ to church -"

"That's not the point."

Both friends crack up at that for about a full minute. When they calm down, Ned says, "Thanks, man...for the food, I mean."

"Yeah, no sweat." Peter looks at his best friend, tone now serious, "You would tell me if you weren't okay, right?"

Ned brushes it off, "_Duh_, we tell each other everything. Relax, I'll be fine, stop acting like an overbearing mother."

The spiderling fondly rolls his eyes, "Fine, fine, I'll drop it...you excited about tomorrow?"

_ It's literally the only thing that's been keeping me afloat. _

Ned grins a mile wide, "Holy shit, are you kidding? I'm about to actually meet _Iron Man_, dude, that's all I've been thinking about." The teen's grin then falls, "But I'm also like really nervous...what if he doesn't like me?"

Peter snorts, "Ned, that's impossible, why wouldn't he like you?"

"Well...what if I'm not what he expects?"

The young hero's tone is back to serious, "Wait, what do you mean?"

The other teenager sighs, "I don't know dude…."

_ What if Iron Man doesn't like me because I'm fat? _

The thin teen gives his friend a reassuring smile, "You're overthinking this, dude, relax, Mr. Stark's gonna love you. He may sound all tough on TV, but he's actually just a big softie...but don't tell him I said that or he'll actually kill me."

Ned giggles at the thought of Tony Stark being "soft", "Whatever, dude."

The duo doesn't stop smiling until they feel the bus start to slow down for Peter's stop. Ned resists the urge to grab onto his best friend's hand.

_ Please don't leave. _

Peter gets up when the bus is about to stop and grabs his backpack, "Bye, Ned, see you tomorrow."

Ned makes himself put on a smile, "Yeah, see ya."

The heavyset teen watches his best friend get off the bus and walk to the apartment complex. As the bus starts going again, he gets his earbuds out of his pocket with the intention of blasting his music until he can't hear anything from the outside world. Busted eardrums have to be better than hearing the other kids make fun of him, right?

But before he can put in his earbuds of bliss, he hears a girl sitting across from him say, “He must feel sorry for you.”

_ Oh, for fuck’s sake. _

The rude teen continues, “I mean...why else would he want to hang out with you? It’s not like you’re  _ cool _ or anything.”

Ned sees red.

The headache is now back at full force and he has had more than enough of this shit, “You don’t know anything about me  _ or _ Peter; he doesn’t give a shit about that.”

The girl rolls her eyes, “_That’s_ what he told you?” She pauses to laugh which makes the bigger teen’s cheeks flush with anger, “This is high school, being cool is all  _ anyone _ cares about. Y’know he can start hanging out with us anytime, right? He’s smart, he's cute, he’s got the whole package; but he still hangs out with you...and what do  _ you _ have to offer?”

_ Wow, way to make me feel like shit. _

“You really think my best friend is that shallow?”

“_I’m_ just saying that your  _ ‘BFF’ _ can do so much better.”

Ned swallows a lump in his throat, having no idea of what to say. He finally decides on, “Just leave me the fuck alone.”

She gives him a victorious smile, “Whatever you say, _lard-ass_.”

Ned can feel his hands start to shake with hurt. He quickly puts in his earbuds and blasts his music at full volume, hoping to drown out any and all sound. He squeezes his fingernails into his palms to keep from crying.

_ Don’t cry, don’t cry, can you imagine what she’d say if she sees you crying like a damn baby? _

For the rest of the ride, the teen lays his forehead against the window in a pitiful attempt to cure his headache. He tries not to think about what she said, but his mind keeps replaying the scene anyway.

He would be lying if he said that he’s never had those exact same insecure thoughts, especially after finding out that Peter is Spider-Man. That really makes Ned’s mind go into overdrive.

Why  _ does _ Peter still hang out with him?

Ned knows he's not “cool”, he’s never even cared much about that. He’s an introvert, the idea of having fifty or so friends sounds overwhelming, not welcoming, and he always thought the two of them were on the same page in that regard.

But that girl is right...why would anyone want to hang out with someone who’s just dubbed as the “fat friend”?

And...Peter doesn’t  _ really _ feel bad for him, does he? 

No...there’s no way, Peter wouldn’t invite Ned to meet Tony Stark if he felt sorry for him; that offer is too generous.

Is it?

_ No, Ned, he is your best friend, you're his best friend. There is nothing wrong, stop overthinking.  _

Ned does his best to do that for the rest of the ride home, all while saying a silent prayer that this verbal abuse will finally stop.

Because it  _ will _ stop.

It has to.

_ It has to. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's part two, I really hope you like it!!! 
> 
> Trigger warning for vague descriptions of a panic attack.

_ You're meeting Mr. Stark today, you're meeting Mr. Stark today, you're meeting Mr. Stark today. Literally just a few more hours and you're away from everyone for a couple days. _

That’s what Ned keeps telling himself the following morning as he waits at the bus stop.

He'll be fine, he thinks. If he can take down a bad guy with one of Peter's web-shooters, he can certainly handle a few comments from some punk-ass kids.

The school bus arrives and he gets on when it comes to a stop. He sees his tormentors in the back smirking at him and it makes his skin prickle with goosebumps. 

Instead of sitting in the back like he normally does, Ned opts for a seat in about the middle of the bus where the back wheel is located. He sits flush against the window, feet resting on the hump where the wheel is, and backpack between them.

The bus gets going again and the teen takes his earbuds out of his pocket. He'll be fine; the clique in the back  _ stays _ in the back so no one's going to bother him. The plan is foolproof. 

Or so he thought. 

Ned is so distracted by his music that he doesn't hear the "cool" kids moving to the seats surrounding him. He doesn't realize anything is happening until someone yanks his earbuds out of both his ears and his phone.

The teen flinches and lightly hits his head against the window, "Hey, what the fuck?!"

The boy across from Ned - the same one that had the nerve to ask him how much he weighed - starts laughing along with the group while twirling the earbuds, "Too good to talk to us now, fatty?"

Ned feels his stomach start to churn from anxiety, "Give them back, asshole!"

"Hear that, guys?  _ Fat Albert _ wants his poor 'wittle' earbuds back."

The vicious laughter cuts into the back of the teen’s skull, "Shut up!"

The girl from yesterday snaps from the seat in front of him, "Or what? Gonna go cry to your _'bestie'_?"

A kid that's in the seat behind Ned adds on, "Yeah, you gonna snitch on us, fatty?"

Ned finally cries out, "Just leave me alone for God's sakes!"

“Earbud-Thief” responds, “Oh c’mon, we’re just having a little bit of fun, you’re such a party-pooper.”

“_I’m_ not having fun.”

“‘Cuz you’re a party-pooper, I thought we already established that.”

Instead of responding, Ned rushes forward to try and make a grab for the earbuds, but the punk throws them to one of his friends at the last minute. The young genius tries to grab them again but it’s tossed to another friend, making Ned the victim of an obnoxious game of “Monkey in the Middle.”

The teen finally gives up and is now flush against the window again.

One of the other kids then says, “_Aw_, you tired already? That’s what happens when you weigh five hundred pounds.”

Another kid chimes in, “Yeah, what'd even have for breakfast, a whole chicken? Didya eat the plate and fork too?"

Ned feels his eyes get watery and he squeezes them shut to keep the tears from flowing.

_ Just a couple more minutes and this’ll be over, c’mon, man. _

He then feels a hard tap on his shoulder, “Hey, we asked you a question: what did you have for breakfast?”

Ned takes a deep breath to make sure his tone isn’t wobbly, “None...of your fucking business.”

“It will literally take you two seconds, just tell us, why’s it gotta be some big secret?”

Ned decides to just give in, “I ate cereal. That’s all it was, just a normal fucking bowl of cereal that everyone else in the world has for breakfast. There, you got your answer, now leave me alone.”

“_Ooh_, someone’s snappy.”

“_Gee_, wonder why.”

The heavyset teen's stomach starts to settle when he feels the bus slow down for Peter’s stop and he discreetly wraps his arm around his torso in the hopes to speed up the process.

_ Thank God. _

The kid across from him says one last thing before they all move back to their seats, “Fun while it lasted.”

Ned says in a defeated tone, “I want my fucking earbuds back.”

“Well...that’s too fucking bad.”

_ That bastard really just stole my one source of sanity that’s not Peter. _

Ned sees his friend get on the bus, already sporting an excited grin. He tries to mimic it with one of his own and prays that it’s believable.

Peter plops next to Ned, backpack between his feet and sweater barely grazing his best friend’s shoulder, “Hey!”

The other teen drops his arm and somehow manages to half-smile, “Hey, man.” He takes notice of the sweater his friend is wearing, “Is that a Stark Industries sweater?”

“Yup, it’s like the most comfy thing ever...I may or may not have stolen it from Mr. Stark….”

Ned shakes his head in disbelief, “You steal Iron Man’s sweaters...dude, what even is your life?”

Peter snorts, “You’re telling me.” 

They both giggle and then the spiderling takes a good look at the other boy’s face, “Are you okay, you don’t look so good. Didya sleep any better last night?”

The other teen starts to lift a confusing eyebrow, but then he remembers their conversation from yesterday, “Oh, um...a little bit...warm milk didn’t help….”

Peter gives his friend a look of empathy, "Aw, dude...have you gone to a doctor or anything about it?"

"Peter, I'm not going to a doctor just ‘cuz I can't sleep."

"Maybe, um...I don't know, watch relaxing YouTube videos or something? Maybe that'll help?"

Ned feels soft pangs in his chest at that. He can't believe that he actually thought Peter only hung out with him because he felt sorry for him. The teen smiles fully for the first time that morning, "Yeah...maybe that'll help. Thanks, man."

Peter smiles in response. The rest of the bus ride is spent with random small talk and Ned actually feels calm, feels..._relieved_ that he won't get to hear anymore degrading comments or names. 

The teen then feels a giddiness flutter in his chest at the realization that they're not even riding the bus this afternoon. He doesn't get to take verbal abuse from the other kids  _ and _ he gets to meet Tony Stark.

_ Is this what cloud nine feels like? _

-

Ned is shaking with both excitement and anxiety as Happy drives them to Avengers Tower. 

After meeting said driver, the teen doesn't feel as self-conscious about his weight as he did before. If Tony Stark hired an overweight person as his bodyguard, then the man shouldn't care about how much his intern's best friend weighs...right?

_ Hopefully, anyway. _

Peter takes notice of his friend's nerves and puts a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Trust me, Mr. Stark's gonna love you. Hell, Happy actually said 'Hi' to you, that's more than I usually get."

The chauffeur apparently heard that because he snaps back with a "Hey!"

The web-slinger gives the driver an amused look, "Oh, am I _lying_?"

Happy just responds with a grunt and continues his focus on the road. 

Ned then says, "I know, but like...I never thought I'd actually meet _Iron Man_, y'know? I just...don't want to make a fool of myself."

"Wanna know how many times I've made myself look stupid in front of Mr. Stark?  _ Waaaaay _ too many to count, dude, and he still keeps me around for some reason. You'll be fine, I promise."

"Okay, okay," Ned rests his head against the headrest, "I'll be fine."

They arrive at the tower and Peter leads him to the lab. They walk in to see the mechanic tending to something with the Iron Man suit and Ned has to clench his fists to keep from having a complete "fanboy" moment.

Tony turns around at hearing the door open and smiles cheekily at the two teenagers, “_There_ it is.” He walks over and adjusts said clothing that his kid is wearing, “How many of these do you have now like twenty, ‘cuz I just can’t seem to find  _ any _ of mine.” He then gives the spiderling an amused look.

Peter playfully shrugs and crosses his arms, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mr. Stark, maybe you just keep losing them...that’s what happens when you get old.”

The billionaire scoffs while ruffling the young hero’s hair, “I’m taking your suit again.”

Peter snickers, “No, you’re not -”

“Yep, watch me, I’m gonna do it. I don’t even know if I wanna hang out with you today ‘cuz _you just hurt my feelings_.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah….”

Ned is awestruck at the whole exchange. Here he is, in the same room as both Iron Man and Spider-Man, and they’re just...goofing off….

_ This is so damn bizarre. _

Peter then turns to his friend, making Ned snap out of his thoughts, “Mr. Stark, this is Ned. Ned, this is Mr. Stark, but I guess you knew that already.”

Ned swallows a nervous lump in his throat, “Y-Yeah, yeah, um...hi….”

Tony smirks and it makes the teenager want to crawl under a rock and _die_.

_ He senses my fear...oh my God, he can practically taste it.  _

The man surprises him by saying, “Loosen up a little bit, jeez, I thought Peter told me you were _fun_.”

Ned’s cheeks blush with embarrassment. He can’t help but think back to what that kid said on the bus this morning, “Oh, uh...uh….”

Peter quickly reassures the other boy, “Relax, he’s kidding.” He turns to his mentor, “Mr. Stark, you’re scaring him.”

Tony smirks again, “He’s right I’m kidding, but seriously, loosen up, I don’t bite.”

Ned doesn’t know how to respond to that except to nervously giggle.

The mechanic leads the two teenagers over to a work table and he turns to Ned once they get there, “Y’know, I don’t understand.”

The young genius immediately tenses up, “Uh...what?”

“I use only the best security for everything: my suits, my company, phone, car, no one can even open a dresser drawer around here without me knowing.” Tony smirks at his protege who just responds by pretending to not know what his mentor is talking about, “So tell me: how in the  _ hell _ didya hack into my suit?”

Ned half-smiles and blushes even more, “Uh...well...it’s kinda a long story….”

-

The next three hours fly by in absolute awesomeness.

Who knew that Iron Man could be so much fun to just...hang out with?

Like Peter said, Tony was impressed with how Ned hacked into the Spider-Man suit and wanted to know more. Other than that, the teenager didn’t talk much but he didn’t mind; he actually enjoyed hearing the banter between the two superheroes. Ned was even convinced at one point that the duo forgot he was there, they’re so chill around each other. 

Tony steps out of the lab and once the teenagers are alone, Peter turns to his friend, “_Soooo_, whatcha think?”

“This. Is. _Awesome_. Dude, you do this  _ every _ week?”

“Sometimes more than once a week...told ya Mr. Stark would like you.”

Ned feels that giddiness again and he can’t help but have a “fanboy” moment, “Iron Man likes me, dude, Iron Man  _ actually _ likes me.” 

Peter giggles, “Of course he would, it’s impossible not to like you.”

Ned’s cheeks flush with the good kind of embarrassment.

_ You have no idea how much I needed to hear that. _

Tony walks in a few seconds later with some sort of fabric draped over one of his arms. He then walks over to the two boys and surprises Ned by plopping said fabric over the teen’s head.

Ned flinches in surprise, “Whoa, what the -” he cuts himself off and grabs hold of whatever is “attacking” him. He holds the fabric up and takes in the sight before him.

It’s a Stark Industries sweater, one that looks identical to Peter’s.

The teen flounders, “Uh...wha-what is this?”

Tony answers, “Yeah, I found it on the way here; it looks like a certain ‘sweater-thief’,” he shoots a pointed look at his mentee, “Missed one, so I thought I’d share the wealth.”

Peter sasses back, “Whatever you say, old man.”

The mechanic turns back to Ned, “I’m taking his suit away, mark my words.”

The bigger teen responds with a few more nervous giggles.

Tony continues, “Anyway, it’s all yours. Don’t worry, I actually got like a million more that Peter doesn’t know about.” 

The web-slinger’s eyes bug out, “You do?!”

“You’ll never find them.”

“Challenge accepted.”

Ned ignores the banter and stares back down at the sweater. Peter was right, it’s about the most comfortable piece of clothing he’s ever felt. 

_ What the hell kind of fabric was used to make this, unicorn hair?  _

He shyly looks at his hero, “Th-thank you, Mr. Stark...I love this.”

Tony smiles back at him, “No problem, kid.”

Peter then says, “Hey, you should put it on, we’ll be twins.”

Ned playfully rolls his eyes, “Yeah, ‘cuz we look  _ so _ much alike.”

The teen then stands up and goes to put the sweater on. He puts his arms through the sleeves and notices that the clothing feels tight around his wrists. He doesn't think anything of it until he tries to put his head through the collar.

And fails.

Well...he doesn’t exactly _fail_, his head does go through the collar...but he can’t pull down the sweater. He can hardly even move his arms.

Ned then pulls his head out of the sweater and stares at it for a few agonizing seconds.

It’s too small...the sweater is too small.

The teen finds himself having to take deep, panicky breaths.

_ I'm too fat for the sweater, I'm too fat for the sweater, oh my God, Mr. Stark already knows I'm fat but this just makes me fatter. _

Ned takes his arms out of the sleeves. His gaze sticks to the clothing like glue when he whispers, "It's, uh...it-it's too small…."

He hears the older man say, "No worries, I didn’t even think to look at the size,” but it sounds distant. Ned grips tightly onto the sweater to try and keep himself calm but it’s not working, it’s not working,  _ it’s not fucking working_. 

Before Ned can stop himself, all of the names and comments from this week flood to the front of his mind and he does everything in his power to keep himself afloat.

_ How much do you weigh, like five hundred pounds? _

_ Fat Albert. _

_ Lard-Ass. _

_ Do you eat the plate and fork too? _

_ We just don’t wanna look like you someday. _

_ We just don’t wanna look like you someday. _

_ We just don’t wanna look like you someday. _

Ned hears his best friend calling for him but he’s too far away to respond.

Wait...why is he so far away? Did Peter and Tony leave him somewhere? Where are they?

“Ned?”

_ Don’t leave me, Peter, please...please don’t leave me. _

“Ned!”

The heavyset teen finally snaps back to reality. He refocuses on his surroundings and is surprised to find himself on the floor.

Of Tony Stark’s lab.

Of  _ Iron Man’s _ lab.

_ You have got to be kidding me. _

Ned’s face heats up in humiliation as he tries to get his breathing under control. He then feels a comforting grip on his upper arms and there’s not a doubt in his mind that the source of said comfort is from his best friend. He hears Peter giving soft shushing sounds to get him to calm down and for the next thirty seconds, that’s all that Ned thinks about.

The bigger teen finally calms down but due to an unexpected bout of fatigue, he still hasn’t moved from the floor. He leans his head against the wall and lets out a relieved sigh.

_ Wait, how did I get next to the wall? _

He takes notice of Peter sitting in front of him with his legs crossed, looking worried for his friend. The spiderling lets go of his friend’s shoulders and makes sure to talk as slowly as he can, “Ned, how’re you feeling?”

Ned takes in some deep breaths before responding, “I...I’m good now. Wha...what happened?”

“Um...it looked like you had some kind of...panic attack….”

The other teen’s eyes widen in pure shock, “What?  _ That’s _ what a panic attack feels like?”

Another voice speaks up from a distance, “Yep...they’re not very fun, are they?”

“Huh, what?” Ned looks around for the source of the voice and sees Tony Stark sitting in a chair by a work table, looking worried himself, but also a bit...understanding?

_ God, Iron Man just watched me have a panic attack, I’m never showing my face here again. _

Ned speaks softly, “Um...no...n-no, it wasn’t fun. I’m sorry -”

Peter cuts him off, “No no no, Ned, it’s fine, I promise, but...what happened? I...I’ve never seen you get one of those before….”

Ned’s cheeks redden even more, “I-I don’t know, I don’t know, I’m sorry -”

“Stop apologizing, I just want you to feel better, but...do you know what caused this?”

The teen wants to tell Peter, he really does...but he can’t. It’s all just so embarrassing, he actually had a fucking  _ panic attack _ over just a few mean comments.

_ Some “Guy in the Chair.” _

“I don’t know, Peter, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry -”

Peter cuts him off by giving Ned a hug, “It’s okay, it’s okay, you’re okay...we’re all okay.” Ned reciprocates the embrace.

Tony then says, “C’mon, Pete, let’s get him in a chair.”

Peter picks up his best friend with ease and puts him in a chair that Tony had spun around. After doing so, he sits in a chair in front of him and scoots until their knees are almost touching. The web-slinger then asks, “You need anything, water or something -”

“No, dude, seriously, I’m fine, it was just...a fluke, I guess.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Ned can see the billionaire cut him a suspicious look with one of his eyebrows raised.

_ Please don’t see through my bullshit. _

Peter’s eyebrows scrunch up with worry, “That definitely wasn’t a fluke, dude.”

“Peter, can you please just drop it? I’m already embarrassed enough as it is.”

The young hero’s look softens, “Ned, it’s just us, we’re not gonna judge you, but stuff like this doesn’t happen for no reason. Please tell me what’s going on, you’ve been off all week, man.”

Ned sees Tony’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. What the hell is that man thinking?

The mechanic cuts in, “Hey, Pete, didn’t you say you had to go to the bathroom?”

Peter raises an eyebrow and gives his hero a confused look, “Um...no? I went earli -”

Tony cuts him off with a wink and jerks his head in the direction of the door, obviously indicating that he wants his intern to leave the room.

_ Real subtle, Mr. Stark. _

Peter looks even more confused when he turns back to his friend, “Um, yeah...yeah, I’ll be right back...I won’t be long, I promise.”

Ned just nods his head.

The pale teen walks out of the room, leaving an awkward silence in his wake. Tony walks around the work table until he’s standing next to the other kid, making sure there’s at least an arm’s length of distance between them.

Ned has no clue of what to say; he doesn’t even want to  _ look _ at Tony, much less have a one-on-one conversation with him. Why does Iron Man even want to talk to him, to begin with?

After a few seconds of the most anxiety-inducing silence that Ned has ever experienced in his life, the older genius asks with his gaze on the table, “So...how’re you feeling? And be honest.”

The tan-skinned teen turns his chair until he’s also facing the table and props his elbows on top of it. He then puts his head in his hands in shame, “I’m good...I’m so sorry I freaked out like that, oh my God.”

Tony brushes it off, “Don’t worry about it, seriously...you should see me during my ‘freak-outs’, ask Peter.”

Ned lifts his hand from his hands and looks at the other man in surprise.

The man returns the look with one of understanding but doesn't say anything more. Instead, he brings the subject back to Ned, "Peter said you've been 'off' all week, so...penny for your thoughts?"

Ned takes a deep breath and sticks with the same lie that he told Peter, "I, uh...I haven't been sleeping very well lately."

Tony hums in response, "Wow…."

"What?"

"You lie about as bad as Peter does, I didn't think that was possible."

_ Shit. _

"Oh…."

Tony smirks, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I know we've only known each other for like a day. I’m just curious as to why you haven't said anything to Peter." He drags the chair that Peter was in and sits in it, still facing the work table.

Ned crosses his arms on the table and whispers, "It's stupid."

"Can't be that stupid if it caused you to have a panic attack in my lab. I'm willing to bet my entire company that it's not even remotely stupid, whatever it is."

The teenager glances at his hero before he sets his gaze on the wall across the room.

Neither of them says anything for the next couple of minutes. Tony nonchalantly works on some parts while Ned lays his chin on top of his crossed arms and continues staring at the wall.

Ned then takes in a shaky breath, still staring at the wall. Why he decides to confess to _Iron Man_, of all people, he'll never know, "There's these kids on the bus…."

Tony doesn't look up, "Uh-huh…."

"They...they suck...they  _ really _ suck."

The man is silent for a few seconds before he asks, "Why? Have they been hurting you?"

"No, they've never hit me or anything, they just...say a bunch of stuff…."

Tony stops what he's doing and crosses his arms on top of the table. He briefly glances at the kid, "So they  _ have _ been hurting you."

The kid can feel his eyes start to get glossy and he quickly blinks those tears away. He'd rather  _ die _ than start crying in front of his hero, "It's so stupid, like I never even talk to them and then this starts up and I  _ hate _ it. I just want things to go back to normal."

The mechanic gives the poor guy a look of empathy before turning back to his parts, "How long has this been going on?"

Ned sighs, "All week."

Tony winces, "And Peter, he really doesn't have a clue?"

The kid shakes his head "no."

"May I ask why?"

"It's stupid like I said. I thought it was all just gonna blow over, so I didn't wanna worry him...but it's getting worse."

"They're picking on him too?"

Again, Ned shakes his head, "It stops when he gets on the bus. And they don't bother me at the actual school, so that's good, at least."

Tony looks back at the teen, "Was that what caused the attack earlier?"

The kid nods his head, "They mostly make fun of my weight, so when the sweater was too small, everything kinda...snapped, I guess."

The man winces again, “Sorry about that.”

Ned brushes it off by shaking his head, “You didn’t know.”

“I literally just saw it and grabbed it, I didn’t even think about the size. And for the record, there’s nothing wrong with your weight.”

The teen can’t help but roll his eyes, “Mr. Stark -”

“I’m serious, there’s nothing wrong with you. Doesn’t matter if you’re the size of a twig or a damn sumo wrestler, none of us care, nor should you. You’re not defined by your weight, know that.”

_ Since when did Iron Man become a motivational speaker? _

Ned’s lifts his head from his arms. He feels his cheeks flush with the good kind of embarrassment, “Um...thanks...you don’t know how much I needed to hear that.”

Tony gives the kid a smile, “There’s always gonna be assholes in the world who think that looks are everything and we gotta fit into some kind of stereotypical ‘box’ - spending your whole life in front of cameras kinda forces you in that kind of mindset - but you pretty much just gotta learn to not give a fuck.”

The teen can’t help but laugh at the vulgar language, “Yeah...but high school makes it hard.”

“Good thing high school doesn’t last forever, huh?”

Ned wordlessly nods his head.

Tony then says, “But this shit that’s happening now...we’re gonna do something about that.”

The kid looks at the older man with wide eyes, “Mr. Stark, you...you don’t need to do anything, it’s fine, it’s not your problem -”

“I’m  _ making _ it my problem. And I know I don’t need to do anything, but I  _ want _ to do something, bud. It’s not that ‘Flash’ prick, is it?”

“No, he’s...he’s actually been pretty quiet lately.”

“Good, he’s doing what I told him to do.”

Ned looks at the billionaire with a confused expression, “Huh?”

Tony shrugs, “Well...I  _ may _ have found out that someone was giving my kid a hard time and I  _ may _ have given that brat a short…’talking to.’” He looks at the kid’s terrified face and reassures him, “Relax, I don’t hit minors…’Camera Flash’ doesn’t know that, but I promise I don’t.” 

_ Did Iron Man just call Peter his kid? _

The teen is still shocked when he gives the man a grateful look, “Oh...thank you.”

“Eh, no sweat. Now...do your parents know? About the bus situation?”

“No, no one does, not even Peter, like I said.”

“Oh, he knows.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, he knows.” Tony turns his head towards the door and raises his voice, “You can come in now, Pete.”

Tony walks to another work table on the other side of the lab. The bigger teen looks at the door in confusion until he sees his friend walk into the room with a look on his face that shows that he heard _everything_. 

_ Fuck….  _

Peter drags that same chair and sits in it before swiveling until he’s directly across from his best friend. Ned can’t tell if the young hero looks sad or angry. 

_ Maybe it’s both…actually, it’s definitely both. _

The spiderling says, voice distraught, “Ned...I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you tell me any of this, I could’ve helped you out or something -”

Ned cuts him off and swivels until he’s directly in front of Peter, “No, Peter, please don’t beat yourself up about this, this is why I didn’t tell you; I...didn’t want you worrying about me.”

Peter shakes his head, “Ned, are you kidding me, it’s part of the ‘best friend’ gig to worry about you. It’s not all Legos and video games, I would’ve helped you because I  _ want _ to help you...you’re my ‘Guy in the Chair’, man.”

“It’s just...it’s _embarrassing_, dude, like I know I’m fat, that’s obvious but...that’s never been thrown in my face before, you know? And then someone said that you only hung out with me ‘cuz you felt sorry for me, ‘cuz I’m fat, and….”

The spiderling’s eyes widen, “You didn’t believe them, did you?”

Ned hangs his head in shame, “She...she got in my head.” His eyes start to feel watery again and he quickly blinks them away.

Peter must’ve noticed that because his face looks even more heartbroken. He scoots his chair until their knees are touching and he softly grips onto both of his friend’s shoulders, “Ned...you know that none of what they said is true, I know you know that. I hang out with you because you’re fun, and awesome, and funny, I mean, we can talk about the stupidest shit and we know there’s no judgment. Your weight doesn’t play a factor in  _ any _ of that; when we hang out, that’s something I never think about.”

The other teen rolls his eyes, “Peter, c’mon -”

The thin teen tightens his grip on his best friend’s shoulders, “I’m serious, dude. Yeah, you’re overweight, but that’s just how it is, it’s not who you are.” Peter’s eyes widen at a realization and he drops his arms, “You gave me half your lunch yesterday...you were trying to lose weight, were you?”

From across the room, Tony turns to the kids with his eyebrows raised. He looks on as Ned shamefully nods his head and says, “Yeah...I thought that if I lose weight, they’ll stop making fun of me.”

The older hero blurts out, “Kid, for God’s sakes, you gotta eat.”

Ned sighs deeply, “I know, I know...I learned my lesson.”

Peter sighs, “Good. Look, Ned, if you wanna lose weight, that’s fine, that’s awesome. But if you don’t wanna lose weight, that’s fine and awesome too. You’re perfect, please don’t listen to those assholes.”

The other teen can’t help but blush, “_Duuuuude…_” he then softly smiles, having no idea of what else to say except “Thanks….”

Peter smiles in response. He then asks, “So...what  _ have _ they been saying?”

The other kid feels his cheeks heat up and puts his head in his hands, “Peter, no -”

“Peter, _yes_...I want to know everything _please_, Ned. You don’t need to be embarrassed, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Tony turns back around to where he’s not facing the kids, which Ned is extremely grateful for.

The teen drops his arms and takes a deep breath, “They just...call me names…'fat people' names, and um...say that I eat a lot ‘cuz _obviously_, that’s why I'm fat. One guy...one guy asked me how much I weighed -”

The mentor-protege duo blurt out at the same time, “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Ned is taken aback but he appreciates how offended they sound, “I wish, I  _ really _ wish I was making all this up. And….”

Peter lightly taps his friend’s knee, “And?”

“And...they stole my earbuds this morning.”

The spider-boy looks _furious_, “They stole from you?”

His friend defeatedly nods his head.

Peter reaches across his chair and gives his best friend a hug. Said friend hugs back and can’t help but let a few tears run down his cheeks, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay, I promise it’s okay. I’m sorry I didn’t notice.” The young hero upsets himself with another realization, “Wait...how  _ did _ I not notice?” He lets go of his friend, “I have super-hearing, how did I not know what was going on?”

Tony turns back around, “Pete, none of this is your fault -”

“I know but...how did I not hear anything?”

Ned answers, “It always stopped when you got on. Like today, they stopped and moved back to their seats when the bus was slowing down for your stop. Maybe the range is too far.”

“That’s why you were in a different spot than normal...holy shit, how did I not notice?”

The mechanic reassures his kid, “Don’t dwell on it, kid. You’re just going to school, why would you want to use up your energy by hearing all the pointless shit other kids are saying?”

Ned backs Tony, “Yeah, and it’s over now, dude...well, hopefully, it’s over.”

Peter looks back at his friend, “It’s  _ definitely _ over...but what do we do now?”

The older man answers, “I’ll talk to Ned’s parents,” he focuses on the kid in question, “Because you  _ are _ gonna tell them,” he goes back to addressing them as a group, “And then one of us will call the school first thing Monday. This is gonna stop, I promise.”

Ned feels an imaginary thousand-pound anvil being lifted off of his shoulders and the feeling is nothing short of euphoric, “Thank you, Mr. Stark...thank you so much.”

The spiderling whispers to his friend, “Told you he’s a big softie.”

Tony’s eyebrows raise in surprise, “What’d you just say?”

Peter smiles cheekily, “Oh, nothing, nothing...but seriously, Mr. Stark...thank you.”

The man decides to ignore that comment - for now, “Don’t mention it, fellas. So...you guys staying for dinner or what?”

-

Ned’s hands are shaking when he’s at the bus stop the following Monday morning.

He knows that between his parents and Tony, the bullying will be taken care of but that’s not happening until  _ after _ they get to school.

Which means that he has to endure one more awful bus ride.

The teen shakily sighs; why didn’t he just say “yes” when his mom offered to drive him to school? He just  _ had _ to act macho and tough for her sake.

_ God, “past me” was such an idiot. _

The teen is so caught up in anxiety that he flinches when he feels a soft tap on his shoulder. He turns to see that it’s none other than his best friend in the whole wide world.

“Peter?!”

Peter grins, “Hey, man.”

Ned smiles, not believing what he’s seeing, “Wha-Wha...what are you doing here?”

“Waiting for the bus, _duh_.”

“Peter, I’m serious.”

The spider-boy grins, a bit more sheepishly this time, “I swung over - I was careful, I promise. I...I didn’t want you to be alone...is that okay?”

Ned gives him a bear hug, “_More_ than okay...oh my God, thank you.”

Peter reciprocates the embrace, “Anytime.”

They pull away as they hear the bus coming from down the street. The pale teen asks, “Are they already on the bus?”

“Yeah, I think they’re the stop before me...they always sit in the back.”

“Where do  _ you _ wanna sit?”

Ned scratches the back of his neck, “Uh...I liked where we sat on Friday.”

“Sounds good to me.” Peter grabs one of his friend’s still shaky hands and briefly squeezes in comfort. Ned squeezes back before they let go.

When the bus arrives, the heavyset teen gets on first. His tormentors in the back are smirking at him, yet again, and he hates himself for the fear that filters through him.

But then he sees the priceless looks on their faces when they see Peter also climb onto the vehicle and that memory will be a fond one for years to come.

The duo gets settled into their seat and the bus continues the route. Peter briefly squeezes his friend’s hand again to which Ned gratefully squeezes back.

They unexpectedly hear movement from the back of the bus and turn to see those same assholes are moving to the seats around them again.

_ You have gotta be shitting me…. _

“Earbud-Thief” sits across from them just like last time, “Whatcha doin’ here, Parker?”

Peter gives the guy a look that says “Are you an  _ actual _ idiot?” and answers, “Um...going to school, man. Whatch  _ you _ doin’ here?”

The snooty girl is sitting in the seat behind them this time, “But you’re always one of the last stops -”

“Welp, I’m here now.”

Ned gratefully looks at his friend. What he did to get a friend like him, he’ll never know.

“Earbud-Thief” takes said item out of his pocket and starts twirling them between his fingers, “Why do you even sit with him, anyway?”

Peter cuts angry eyes at both the stolen item and the asshole holding them. His answer comes out short, “‘Cuz he’s my friend...my  _ best _ friend.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, but why _there_?” The guy gestures to the seat both friends are sitting in, “There’s empty seats all around you, you could just sit in one of them, but you’re still in the same one, just...why?”

The two teenagers glance at each other in confusion. What the hell is this guy getting at?

Ned speaks up for the first time since he got on the bus, “Why are you wasting your time with this? We’re just sitting here, it’s not exactly rocket science….”

_ Have these guys run out of “material” or something? _

The kid sitting in front of them snorts, “Guess who finally learned to talk.”

Peter snaps at him, “_Shut up_.”

“Earbud-Thief” continues his point, “I’m just saying, Parker...you’re sitting pretty close to the edge there….”

The pale teen briefly glances down and around where he’s sitting, “No, I’m not….”

“Yeah you are. Your foot has to be in the aisle ‘cuz it can’t fit in the seat.”

“That’s because of my backpack, dumbass.”

Then it hits Ned...he now gets what that bully is talking about.

_ He’s saying I’m too fat for anyone to sit next to me. _

_ God, I fucking hate that guy. _

The bigger teen nudges his friend to get his attention, and when he does, he softly says, “He means me.”

The spiderling’s eyes squint in confusion but just seconds later, they widen in realization. His look transforms into one of anger that Ned hardly ever sees and turns to face the punk who’s still mindlessly twirling those fucking earbuds. Both of Peter’s feet are firmly planted in the center of the aisle as if he's asserting his “dominance”, “We can fit in this seat  _ just _ fine, but thanks  _ so _ much for your consideration. Now, leave us alone...leave  _ him _ alone,” he gestures to his friend by jerking his head.

The teen girl starts laughing. She then turns to Ned and harshly pokes his shoulder, making him wince, “So you  _ did _ go cry to you ‘bestie.’”

It’s Ned’s turn to snap, “Shut up, for the love of God.”

Peter turns his head towards her and says coldly, “Don’t fucking touch him. And I’m glad he did so fuck off, he obviously doesn’t wanna talk to you...or  _ any _ of you, for that matter.”

“Earbud-Thief” rolls his eyes, “Whatever, let’s go, guys.”

The two teens watch in satisfaction as the “cool” kids move back to their original seats. Ned relaxes when they turn back around, “Dude, you are amazing, holy shit, thank you.” He grabs one of Peter’s hands and gives it another squeeze.

The spider-boy squeezes back, relieved that his friend’s hands have stopped shaking, “Happy to do it.”

The bigger teen lets go of their grip, “I hate them so much.”

“Me too...but don’t worry, karma’s a bitch.” They both mischievously smile at that. Seeing those punks get their comeuppance will make Ned’s whole damn year.

Peter then says, “Oh yeah, I almost forgot.” He then starts rifling through his backpack while Ned looks on in curiosity. 

_ Maybe he’s getting another snack. _

But Peter doesn’t grab any snacks; instead, he pulls out some black fabric and a small round case that’s red in color.

The intern holds them out to his friend, complete with a shit-eating grin on his face, “Mr. Stark wanted me to give these to you. He also said you can come visit anytime.”

Ned grabs the items and stares at them in shock.

_ Iron Man got me gifts? Iron Man wants me to come back??? _

He holds the black fabric and recognizes the material he’s feeling.

_ No way…. _

_ No freakin’ way…. _

It’s another Stark Industries sweater, and it’s bigger than the first one that Tony gave him. 

It’s larger so that it will fit him perfectly.

The teen is awestruck, “Aw...dude, oh my God.”

_ Iron Man  _ is _ a big softie. _

Peter excitedly responds, “Do you like it?”

“Are you kidding me?! I’m so putting this on when we get to school.”

“Open the other thing, c’mon, c'mon, open it.”

Ned giggles, “Chill, dude, jeez, you’re more excited about this than I am.”

“You won’t be saying that after you open it.”

The other teen grabs the case and opens the zip. He lets out a gasp at what’s inside.

Earbuds.

Not just earbuds...but  _ nice _ earbuds, red with a gold trim. These are perhaps the nicest ones that he’s ever seen.

_ Is that really gold? There’s actual earbuds out there made with freakin’ gold? _

Ned feels like he might actually cry so he rapidly blinks his eyes before it becomes obvious. He then finds his voice, “He didn’t have to do that, man.”

“He knows...but he wanted to.”

“But seriously though, the ones I had cost like five dollars from  _ Dollar General_, these are like...the same price as my parents’ rent, probably.” 

“That’s Mr. Stark for ya; he doesn’t get anything less than the best.”

“Yeah...yeah, I can see that. Can you tell him I said ‘thank you’? This...this is amazing.”

“You can tell him yourself if you want...wanna come back over this Friday?”

Ned’s eyes bug out in excitement, “Hell yeah! Why in the fuck would I say ‘no’ to that?” Both friends bust out laughing at that.

They are still smiling when they arrive at school. Ned is anxious about having to explain everything to the principal, but he has his family and two superheroes by his side.

And honestly, is there anything better than that?

Nope...absolutely nothing.

_ Some “Guy in the Chair”, indeed. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, you guys are awesome!!!!!


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